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Spectacled Langur


Spectacled Langur
Photo Information
Copyright: Foozi Saad (foozi) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2011-01-08
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Nikon D90, Tamron 18 -270mm Di II
Exposure: f/14.0, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Fauna of ORIENTAL (Indian) Region, CeltickRanger's favorite wild animal photos 3 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2011-02-28 2:48
Viewed: 5063
Points: 56
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Spectacled Langur.

I saw this monkey at Jerai Hill / Kedah Peak. It was quite rare to have it seen here and it moved quite fast.


The Dusky Leaf Monkey, Spectacled Langur, or Spectacled Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand.
The dusky leaf-monkey is a folivorous species, but it will also consume fruit and flowers. Young leaves constitute a high proportion (52%) of the diet for this species (Aldrich-Blake, 1978). Fruit consumed tends to be unripe (MacKinnon and MacKinnon, 1980). Dusky leaf-monkeys are able to take advantage of unripe fruit, which have chemical defenses, by the same means that they breakdown toxins in plant leaves, the bacteria found in their digestive system (MacKinnon and MacKinnon, 1980). Among fruit consumed includes figs (Ficus) of the following species: Ficus sumatrana, Ficus delosyce, Ficus stricta, Ficus cucurbitina, Ficus dubia, and Ficus aurantiacea (Lambert, 1990). The dusky leaf-monkey will consume both ripe and unripe figs (Lambert, 1990). During the dry season this species will consume Intsia palembanica, Koompassia excelsa, and Koompassia malaccensis (Curtin, 1980). Dusky leaf-monkeys will feed in the emergent trees, which is higher than other sympatric langurs (Curtin, 1976, 1980; Curtin and Chivers, 1978; Fleagle, 1976, 1978b). During the day, the main group splits up and forms smaller foraging groups (Fleagle, 1988). The dusky leaf-monkey prefers to forage in the main canopy and the emergent layer of the forest (Fleagle, 1988, 1978). When feeding this species will sit on large branches and boughs (Fleagle, 1978a). This species will spread foraging activity throughout the day so as not to overload their digestive processes that remove plant toxins and process leaf matter efficiently (MacKinnon and MacKinnon, 1980).

The dusky leaf-monkey can have a social system of two types: multimale-multifemale or unimale (Curtin and Chivers, 1978). This is a territorial species where home range boundaries rarely overlap (Curtin, 1976; MacKinnon and MacKinnon, 1980). Territories might be maintained because of the territorial honks emitted by the adult male (Curtin, 1980). Solitary individuals are known to occur of both sexes (Curtin, 1976; Curtin and Chivers, 1978). Adult males do not interact with many members of the group; their roles are confined to predator detection, maintenance of group cohesion during travel, and defense of territorial boundaries (Curtin, 1976, 1980). Males will not become aggressive with intruders; rather hide with the rest of the group (Curtin, 1980). As compared to the banded langur, the dusky leaf-monkey has a higher frequency of social interactions within the group (Curtin, 1980). Infants will be transferred between females, and sometimes one adult female will watch as many as four infants while the other females rest and feed (Curtin, 1976, 1980; Badham, 1967). Juveniles will be associated more with an adult female than with members of their own peer group, which is different from banded langurs (Curtin, 1980).

Aggression is low amongst group members (Curtin, 1976, 1980). When aggression does occur amongst group members, there is a high rate of reconciliation (Arnold and Barton, 1997, 2001a). Affiliative dyadic relationships, and not kinship and rank, are associated with conciliatory tendencies (Arnold and Barton, 1997, 2001a). Ventro-ventro hugging (embracing) is an important behavior during reconciliation (Arnold and Barton, 1997, 2001a). Former opponents will engage in hugging as will victims with a third party who with they have a strong bond (Arnold and Barton, 1997, 2001b). Social grooming was the most popular first contact behavior after an agonistic encounter (Arnold and Barton, 2001b). The intensity of aggression was not found to have an effect on the likelihood of reconciliation to occur (Arnold and Barton, 2001a). Reconciliation was found to occur within three minutes after an agonistic encounter (Arnold and Barton, 2001a). Reconciliation can be initiated by the recipient of aggression or the aggressor (Arnold and Barton, 2001a).

Groups will split-up during the day to form subgroups that forage and then reunite during the evening (Curtin, 1976, 1980). The most common subgroup is an adult female and a juvenile (Curtin, 1976, 1980). Subgroups tend to be large in the early morning and smaller in the mid and late afternoon (Curtin, 1976, 1980). Subgroups remained in contact through visual means and also by knowing familiar travel routes through the forest (Curtin, 1976, 1980). Ranging patterns of a group are conservative by nature, which helps in predicting where a subgroup will be at a certain time (Curtin, 1980). The ranging patterns might also explain why there is little home range overlap between neighboring groups (Curtin, 1980). Subgroups may be adaptive for feeding on a limited and dispersed food supply such as leaves (Curtin and Chivers, 1978). Trees may be dispersed throughout the forest, and new leaves may replace themselves at a slow rate (Curtin and Chivers, 1978).

Social play in the dusky leaf-monkey includes wrestling, sham-biting, jumping on or over, chasing, fleeing, and tail pulling (Arnold and Barton, 2001a). Play face will occur when engaging in social play (Arnold and Barton, 2001a).

The dusky leaf-monkey is sympatric with the banded langur, the pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), the siamang (Hylobates syndactylus), and the white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) in a diptocarp forest near Kuala Lumpur (McClure, 1964; MacKinnon and MacKinnon, 1980). Curtin and Chivers (1978) found that this species associates with siamangs, feeding in the same or adjacent trees and using the same pathways when traveling. Associations between dusky leaf-monkeys and siamangs were found to be most frequent at dawn and dusk (Curtin and Chivers, 1978).
KOMSIS, maurydv, nagraj, Alex99, Pitoncle, Argus, PeakXV, maaciejka, paolo49, CeltickRanger, rousettus, cirano, anel, uleko, pierrefonds has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • KOMSIS Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 820 W: 0 N: 2419] (10674)
  • [2011-02-28 2:52]

Salam Foozi,
Very cute!
Although reverse light, color and composition, excellent detail
Best wishes,
Seyfi

Hallo Foozi,
a very beautiful capture of this funny monkey, very good sharpness and splendid natural colours, very nice composition
TFS
Best regards
Maurizio

ha! very good scene and moment Foozi, natural I like it beautiful composition, with nice colors and details!
TFS Nasos

  • Great 
  • nagraj Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1618 W: 106 N: 3208] (15166)
  • [2011-02-28 5:16]

Hi,
Very fine image of this primate, interesting lighting and good composition. tfs.
nagraj.v

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3097 W: 109 N: 12399] (52850)
  • [2011-02-28 6:42]

Hello Foozi.
Nice capture. Liked the white eye ringe you have captured.Beautiful animal in great pose. Very good exposure and nice green colors. Nice composition as well.Best regards Siggi

hello Foozi
very nice pose with good details and beautiful colours
great shot
greeting lou

Ciao Foozi, grea capture of lovely creature in a beautiful natural ambientation, fantastic moth, wonderful colors and splendid sharpness, very well done my friend, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4072 W: 133 N: 7096] (23735)
  • [2011-02-28 7:55]

Hi Foozi.
What a clear and nice shot. You managed to reflect this charming animal perfect despite the backlight and dark colouration of the monkey. Sharpness of the main subject and nearest bushes are exceptional and some blurriness of the BG is very pleasant too. Excellent job and my compliments.
Alexei.

Ciao Foozi. Impressive capture with excelelnte light's management. well done.

Roberto

Bonjour Foozi,
Très belle attitude du sujet ; c'est bien vu et surtout bien restitué.
A bientôt sur TN pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

Hi foozi,

I like the funny pose of this cute monkey.
All the green around him is nice to see.
Welldone & TFS.

Kapil

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2011-02-28 8:43]

Hello Foozi,
What a great capture of this elusive monkey, the Spectacled langur!
The timing is excellent to show his facial character in fine lighting that outlines his body well in a well composed image that is clear and well composed with the natural vegetation.
Well done and thanks for sharing this image of a species that I have not seen on TN before.
With kind regards,
Ivan

Hello Foozi,

In your life have you ever seen a face like that! Wonderful composition.

I'm relieved to learn that others species can have bad hair days too.

You've had harnessed the light very well & with the monkey's whitish highlites create a mood that is equally humorous as adorable.

The greenery provides just the right contrast to this grey primate's fur.


Very well done!


Kind regards,

Derek

Hi Foozi,
what a nice monkey. It's a true portrait. Nice colours and composition. Very good sharpness.
Thanks for sharing.
Maciek

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2011-02-28 9:22]

Hi Foozi.What a face and what a moment.Not seems true...eeehe..fantastic timing and very impressive specie,beautiful composition,sharpness and colors in a very difficult light.Very well done,i like it!Have a nice week and thanks,Luciano

Fooz Hello, nice capture of this monkey. Excellent shooting and the time you read. All the best, Paul

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5137 W: 166 N: 13121] (49139)
  • [2011-02-28 11:07]

Hello Foozi,
What a beauty. The pose of this monkey is gorgeous. The eye-contact is amazing. Beautiful natural colours and very sharp. Great composition.
Regards,
Peter

hello Foozi

it looks like a funny animal the Dusky Leaf Monkey,
photo shot with fine POV and framing,
excellent focus sharpness and details,
with funny and beautiful glance from this monkey,

TFS

Asbed

Hello Foozi,
Beautiful image with a cute monkey. Good POV and nice pose of your subject. Well done!
Regards,
Mircea

salam akhi Foozi
what a great shot of very lovely langur. It is so beautiful with white eye rings and open mouth. excellent timing. congratulations really.
He gave to you a special pose and you greatly captured it. Everyting great from focus and timing to POV/DOF and coloration. green tiny leaves very beautiful for composition. thanks for sharing this beauty. well done.
warm regards
Ahmet

Hello Foozi
What a funny face ! this langur is well photographed in a nice pose and in a beautiful environment, very sharp shot, beautiful light and colors
Have a good night
Jacqueline

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 997 W: 0 N: 944] (13609)
  • [2011-02-28 14:57]

Hi Foozi,
A very nice capture of this sweety monkey with great composition and excellent sharpness.TFS.
Regards,
Dûrzan

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 3053 W: 3 N: 8715] (40574)
  • [2011-03-01 1:55]

Hello Foozi,
What a funny picture...the monkey seems to make fun of you ;.) and what a haircut!
Very well presented with the decentred position of the Langur and the view on the dense vegetation in which he lives. Natural and so pleasant picture.
Thanks and kind regards
Anne

Looks quite scary!
Thanks for sharing and the comprehensive notes!

Hi Foozi - very Intimidating. really a great capture with amazing details of the monkey from a distance. Eye contact is great. TFS

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2011-03-02 6:58]

Hello Foozi,
This is a very cute monkey that I've seen on nature films! Great eye contact and lovely focus here showing sharp details. I like the natural background too.
Many thanks and regards, Ulla

Hi Foozi,

The vegetation is framing well the langur. The point of view is showing the details and colors of the langur. The late morning light has a good effect on the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

fantastic capture, TFS Ori

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